Book Reviews & Thoughts

You Don’t Know My Name – Kristen Orlando

What an intense novel! I ate it up really quickly. There’s something about secret societies and espionage that always ropes me in.

Synopsis

Fighter. Faker. Student. Spy.

Seventeen-year-old Reagan Elizabeth Hillis is used to changing identities overnight, lying to every friend she’s ever had, and pushing away anyone who gets too close. Trained in mortal combat and weaponry her entire life, Reagan is expected to follow in her parents’ footsteps and join the ranks of the most powerful top-secret agency in the world, the Black Angels. Falling in love with the boy next door was never part of the plan. Now Reagan must decide: Will she use her incredible talents and lead the dangerous life she was born into, or throw it all away to follow her heart and embrace the normal life she’s always wanted? And does she even have a choice?

Review

What an intense novel! I ate it up really quickly. There’s something about secret societies and espionage that always ropes me in.

This story was very much about Reagan figuring out her role among the Black Angels. My issue was that she didn’t end up making her choices based on some internal motivation or sense of duty, but instead her resolve was based on malicious intent. What makes her any different from her enemies?

I had trouble believing that the Black Angels could let Reagan slip through the cracks the way she did during the mission. Reagan was highly reckless, and her behaviour didn’t do the trained operatives any favours. Also, was Luke really supposed to get involved like that? It seems pretty far-fetched to me, especially since that had never happened with anyone else before. I think the simple solution would be to bring Luke into the fold (especially since he now knows EVERYTHING), but that’s just my opinion.

I also find it annoying how many lives are taken away carelessly, but the “ones that matter” to our protagonist are supposed to count a whole lot more.

I was really expecting a more climactic ending. It was all too easy to explain how the enemy understood how the Black Angels operated. I was expecting some major betrayal!! And the story ended in a really annoying cliffhanger. Many things were left unresolved, but it’s evident how Reagan feels by the end. It almost felt like a cliffhanger for the sake of it, but also left me feeling like the story didn’t have a cohesive arc to it. I guess my opinion of this series will depend on the direction that the next story takes.